Mulder found the apartment without too much trouble. He walked up to the door and pressed the bell. Sarah opened the door.

"Evening." She smiled.

"Hi," Mulder said. Sarah stepped back and let him through the door. She closed the door and took his coat. She also took the bottle of wine from his hand. "I didn't know what we were having. Chardonnay goes with everything."

"Indeed." Sarah smiled. "Come on through, it's nearly ready."

"Are you from Australia?" Mulder asked following Sarah into the lounge room.

"Mhm." She nodded. "I've been in the states about six years. I'm here on a working Visa."

"I hear Australian nannies are highly sought after."

"Seems that way to me." Sarah nodded. "Do you have kids?"

"No," Mulder shook his head. "Never found the right girl."

"Well, you're still young." Sarah smiled. Mulder returned the smiled.

"Sear Bear." Hayley said walking into the room.

"Hey my little Hero." Sarah said. "You say hello to Mr Mulder and shake his hand."

"Hello," Hayley said. "My names Hayley."

"Hello Hayley." Mulder said shaking the little girls hand. "You have very good manners. I'm very pleased to meet you." Sarah smiled. Mulder looked at the little girl. She had Scully's hair colouring. It fell in a mop of infinite red ringlets around her face. Her beautiful hazel eyes sparkled. She turned and looked back to Sarah.

"What's the matter?" Sarah asked lifting her up.

"Will you play Pretty Pretty Princess with me?"

"Absolutely." Sarah nodded. "You go and set it up and I'll be in very soon. Bath time first ok."

"Ok," Hayley nodded. Sarah put her down and she ran out of the room.

"Sarah," Scully called.

"Coming," Sarah called back. "Excuse me."

"This house can't function without you." Mulder smiled. Sarah walked out of the room.

Mulder stood up and looked around the lounge room. There were photos of Hayley and the twins everywhere. There was one or two of a pregnant Scully and some of Sarah. There was a photo of Scully and Brad on their wedding day. Mulder also noticed a few framed ultrasounds.

He heard soft footfall and turned around a small boy stood in the doorway sucking his thumb, his brother was close behind. "Hey there little guys." Mulder said walking over to them. He crouched down. He reached out and tickled the first little boy. He giggled with his thumb still in his mouth.

He heard more footsteps and looked up. He saw Scully at the end of the hallway. He smiled at her. She looked beautiful in a sapphire blue slip dress. Mulder stopped smiling and stood up when he realized Scully's eyes were red and puffy from crying.

Sarah walked over and collected one twin under each arm. "Bath time." She said. They smiled and giggled as she carried them towards the bathroom. Scully remained at the end. "Hayley," Sarah called. The little girl ran across the hallway.

Mulder walked very slowly towards Scully. He could see tears running down her cheeks. "Scully," He said. "Dana," he said and gave her an apologetic look. She collapsed forward into his arms.

"Oh Mulder,"

"Hey, hey don't cry, it's all right. Shh." He cooed gently. She cried harder. Mulder lifted her feet off the ground. Scully didn't seem to notice. She left her face buried in Mulder's shoulder. He sat her down on the couch and knelt in front of her. Mulder took her head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," She said.

"Don't be sorry, don't be sorry," He said wiping her cheeks with his thumbs. "Hey, you don't have to apologies. Why are you so upset? Are you all right?"

"Just," She paused and composed herself. "Seeing you today, made me think about a lot of things. Things I haven't thought about for a long time. God Mulder, what happened to us? We were such a team. I thought our friendship could survive everything."

"It can, it has. I'm here now aren't I. Maybe it took five years but we're still together."

"All this time I've kept something from you and I shouldn't have."

"We all have secrets Scully."

"Did you ever keep a secret from me?" Scully asked.

"Yes," he nodded. "But I've never been faced with something as big as what you've kept in all these years."

"What?" Scully asked.

"At NYU." Mulder started. "My office is in the middle of the Biology department. I was there originally because there wasn't enough room with the rest of the Psychologist lecturers. I never bothered moving out.

"During tea breaks I talk to the Biologists and listen to their conversations to other biologists. I've discovered a few things about animals and genes and stuff. Dominant and recessive genes.

"Blue eyes are a recessive gene aren't they Scully. You have blue eyes, Brad had blue eyes as well didn't he. But Scully, Hayley has hazel eyes, like me."

Scully burst into tears again. Mulder took her gently in his arms and squeezed her. "Shh," He said and kissed the top of her head. "Did you think I'd be mad?" He asked. Scully nodded. Her face still buried in his chest. "I'm not,"

"Really?"

"No," He smiled. "No I'm not mad at all. Not even a little bit. I'm so sorry you had to deal with it all these years. All by yourself. You were what, five months pregnant last time we spoke?"

"About that."

"Oh Scully, why didn't you tell me."

"Because, I didn't want to scare you away. I didn't want you to leave me. I wanted you to love the baby I was carrying."

"I do," Mulder nodded. "Not as much as I love you Scully. "You mean much much more to me. You're my everything."

"You love me?" She asked.

"Oh yes, very much. More than life itself. That's my secret. That I've loved you for a very long time."

"Will you stay with me? Stay and get to know Hayley and the twins. And William."

"Yes, I'd love to." Mulder nodded. After dinner Mulder and Scully returned to the lounge room. Sarah had tucked all the children in and had retired herself.

"How do you fit everyone in?" He asked.

"I'll show you." Scully said. They walked down the hallway. She opened a door. There was a set of bunk beds. The kind with a double bed on the bottom. Sarah was lying down with one twin beside her the other was lying the other way with his feet to his brother. Hayley was on the top bunk.

"Wow,"

"Sometimes I have a twin or two or Hayley in bed with me."

"And William sleeps..."

"In a crib in my room."

"Wow," He said again.

"We get along.

"I'll bet, I'll tell you though, the first thing I'm going to do."

"What?"

"You'll see." They returned to the lounge and talk more. "I better head off." Mulder said. "It's after midnight."

"You can stay if you like." Scully said.

"I better head off."

"Please stay."

"Ok," Mulder nodded. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing," She said.

"Do you mind if I stick around then? I'll take Hayley and the twins to the Zoo or something."

"Really?"

"Yeh, I'd love too." Mulder nodded. Mulder slipped his shoes off and swung his legs up onto the couch and lay back putting his head on Scully's lap. She smiled. "I could get used to this. This is quite comfortable. You planning to stay there the whole night?"

"No, are you? I was planning on going to bed, care to join me."

"Scully," Mulder said with surprise in his voice. She smiled and ran her fingers through his hair. He smiled and grabbed her hand and kissed her palm.

"Oh Mulder," She sighed. Mulder could see her eyes tearing up again. He dropped her hand and reached up putting one hand on either side of her head.

"Hey, don't cry. I was a jerk remember, you couldn't have missed me that much."

"I did, I missed you everyday."

"You don't have to miss me anymore. I'm going to stay around for good, whether you like it or not."

"Promise?" She smiled. He nodded.

XXXXXX